hi all from Alaska

hi all, figured i would introduce myself, before i started pestering you all with questions

hi my name is Sheb, im a herpaholic, and ive spread the problem to my family. for xmas i bought my oldest daughter (10 yr old) a petco card(i dont like to support big box stores but sometimes its all we got here in alaska) and told her it she could have her first very own pet. she decided she wanted a corn snake, after much debating with the wifey(not overly fond of snakes), she gave in, so i took my old 20 long, some eco-fiber, cork bark, and some random branches and hides from previous pets/garage sales ect. and set up a quick viv for him. we went to petco on friday and let her pick out her snake, and named him/her Peach

peach when she got home


pic of the viv:


another shot of peach


my daughter and wife are having serious issues with the do not disturb the snake for a few days rule, so peach can get accustomed to her new home as stress free as possible.

sheb

Welcome to the list. There are so many people on here that love to help. I'm still a noob, but have learned so much already. I would love to go to Alaska some day. It's beautiful there.

Hello & welcome from Idaho! You are a great dad! Here are two links you might find helpful on this site. The first is a bunch of common terms used on here.
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=91887
Then the other link is to how to candle sex a corn, it's the most accurate way to tell the gender that is non-invasive & safe for a newbe to do. I thought I'd include it, because your daughter's snake would be a good one to try it on.
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?p=752431#post752431
Hope that helps you!

Glad to see snakes in Alaska! I lived in Anchorage as a kid. Would love to visit more, but don't know if I'd want to live there again. You'll love CS.com. Good to see you here.

thanks for the warm welcome all, and Tavia thanks for the links, i know most interwebz jargon. but the morph specific ones were a big help. as was the candling link, ive done it many times with chicken eggs, never thought to do it with a snake. once peach gets more comfortable with her surroundings ill try it out. right now the most she has come out of her hide today is her head, and as soon as she sees someone look at her she ducks back in.

i want to add some plants, both fake and real, to give peach more cover. any suggestions??



sheb

Pretty sure we all use fake plants. I got some from the dollar tree (we have a really good one here) the thing is just make sure there are no wires or things poking out on the fake plants that could hurt the snake Also not sure what cork bark is, but most of us use aspen bark (shavings for the little ones) it is easier for them to burrow into. Just a consideration for you. Beautiful little snake.

Welcome to the forum, and congrats on the new addition! Peach looks like an adorable little Amel. =)

As for plants, great idea! Fake plants are definitely the easier option, and you can just pick up a bunch of garlands and such from dollar and craft stores for cheap to fill the tank with. If you do go for live, make sure they're snake-friendly and clean (no pesticides & other chemicals), as well as suited to the tank's microclimate.

Welcome from the exact opposite corner of the country! LOL

Welcome to the hobby and the forum!

I use lots of fake plants from hobby stores in my vivs. They're much less expensive purchased that way than in pet stores. Be sure to check the plants over thoroughly for sharp places that might injure your snakes. Here's a handy tip; a dab of hot glue on the sharp spots is a quick, easy safe fix. Have fun!

a little off topic how do you like it in Alaska?

I am thinking of moving when I finish paramedic school.

Ruderpinne said:

a little off topic how do you like it in Alaska?

I am thinking of moving when I finish paramedic school.

Click to expand...

well im biased because i was born here, i love it, i live in Anchorage(largest city in alaska, but can still get across town in 30 min) it has most everything i need, but also within 10 minutes of driving i can be at a trailhead and go hiking, and within 2 hours of driving i can hike for a week and never see anyone. if you love the outdoors and winter, Alaska is a giant playground, some of the best skiing/snowboarding/sleding(snowmachining) in the world. i wake up and look out my bedroom window and see the chugiak mtns(with binoculars i can even see a local volunteer ran ski resort to see if its worth going skiing or not) if you dont like winter/snow/darkness id think about moving somewhere else, its not for everyone, you have to find something to occupy your time in the winter to keep from goin nuts.

as far as keeping herps goes there are alot of ppl up here who do, but no real herp clubs that i have found, lot of great saltwater/freshwater shops but very few pet stores that know reptiles really well. i have heard of at least 3 ppl that keep PDFs but cant get find any of em to see if they breed. up until this point all my pets have been rescues, the corn snake was probably the first pet ive bought in 10 yrs. my PDFs will be the next ones. plan on ordering online for alot of things, sadly for supplies Petco is one of the better choices. although i have found local garden stores/hydroponic shops have alot of the same stuff as far as lighting, substrate, ect, for a lot cheaper.

on the paramedic side im not sure about now but i know 10 years ago when i was ski patrol/wilderness first responder, the field was flooded, hard to get work other than volunteer work.

sheb

Hello and welcome to the forum. :wavey:

Wayne